Integration of Technology Into School

Integration of Technology Into School Curricula

The past few decades have been characterized by a proliferation of technological innovations that have fundamentally altered the way most people shop, work, recreate and receive an education. During this same period, there have been calls for increased accountability on the part of educators and improved academic outcomes at every level, with a wide range of federal, state, and local initiatives being introduced in response. At the same time, and particularly since the onset of the Great Recession of 2008, schools have been faced with dwindling budgets, making the need to use the most cost-effective approach to educational services delivery possible all the more important. One of the most cost-effective approaches currently available is the use of various types of computer-based technologies in and outside the traditional classroom to help young learners take advantage of the vast array of informational and computational services that readily available. To help better understand why the integration of technology into school curricula makes good academic, equity, and economic sense, this paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature, followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Background and Overview

Many of the young learners who comprise the Generation Y cohort, also termed the "Millennials" (as well as other terms, including, increasingly, the so-called "Obama generation"), view technology in fundamentally different ways than their counterparts in the earlier traditionalist, baby boomer and Generation X generations. For example, Van Horn (2006) notes that, "The Millennials are distinctively different from either the 'baby boomers' or 'Gen Xers.' Millennials have different values and different social structures, and they not only use technology, they embrace it" (p. 727). This means that when Millennials enter the classroom today, they want and expect to find the same types of technology they use in their daily lives outside the classroom. In this regard, Schauffhauser emphasizes that, "A generation of young people exposed to cutting-edge gaming technology and used to computing at home on high-powered, low-cost PCs may not get excited about devices running a last-generation operating system on hardware that was considered speedy several years ago" (21).

Moreover, many of these technologies are mobile in their delivery platform and increasingly wireless as well, with the ability to instantaneously access information by just "Googling" it challenging and reshaping traditional definitions of knowledge and intelligence. In the past, students might aspire to learn all of the states and their capitals, the presidents (and even vice presidents), and so forth, but currently, such historical information is readily available at the push of a button from almost anywhere. For example, Van Horn (2006) reports that:

1. 87% of U.S. teens between 12 and 17 years of age use the Internet; just 66% of adults do so;

2. 51% of teen Internet users say they go online on a daily basis;

3. 81% of teen Internet users play games online;

4. 76% get news online;

5. 43% have made purchases online; and,

6. 31% use the Internet to get health information (727).

These statistics indicate that young people entering the school system today bring with them an entirely different skill set from their counterparts just a few decades ago, and these skills can be used in the classroom in effective and meaningful ways if the technology to support its use in curricular offerings is available. These technologies can range from simple and inexpensive notebooks that are being increasingly used in the classroom as well as at students' homes, "bell-and-whistle" desktops in computer labs or ubiquitously throughout the school, to whiteboards, mobile phones, smartboards, and other handheld devices that can be used to allow students to vote on teacher-provided choices or other feedback opportunities to better engage their interest. An inexpensive Internet-enabled notebook being promoted by a nonprofit organization, One Laptop Per Child, has already distributed tens of thousands of these smaller versions of laptops to students in developing countries around the world, and the program has now been extended to the United States as well. For instance, an article in State Legislatures reports that, "Students in grades one through eight in Birmingham, Alabama, will be the first in the nation to receive laptop computers designed for children in third-world countries. The mayor signed an agreement to buy 15,000 laptops for $200 each from One Laptop Per Child, a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to give every child in the world access to a computer" (11). Although students are required to return their notebooks after completion of the eighth grade in this particular program, every notebook computer that is purchased by schools in the United States funds the purchase a second notebook for a student in a developing nation (Laptop legacy 11). These cost-effective technological solutions have used to good effect with even very young learners (Bowne and Brokmeier 37). In this regard, Wambach (2006) reports that, "Studies on the effects of 1-to-1 computing, from sources such as the Center for Research in Educational Policy and NetDay all support the premise that student access to computers in the classroom improves student engagement and achievement, and helps students acquire critical 21st-century skills" (58).

In response to the increasing demand for this technological-based educational solution, a growing number of companies are introducing their own one-to-one computer offerings including:

1. Dell (www.dell.com),

2. Fourier Systems (www.fourier-sys.com),

3. Intel (www.intel.com),

4. Everex (www.everex.com),

5. Asus (www.asus.com),

6. One Laptop per Child (OLPC; http://laptop.org), and

7. Acer (http://acer.com) (Schauffhauser 21).

These initiatives have been widely embrace by educators, students and parents alike who all recognize the benefits to be gained from providing young learners with the tools and resources they need to become proficient learners in the 21st century (Schauffhauser 21). It is important to note, though, that the quantity of technology must be balanced by support for the quality of the technology that is integrated into curricular offerings. In this regard, Wambash emphasizes that, "Equipping teachers with technology is only a launching point. The success of a 1-to-1 computing program is in its application" (59). Fortunately, an enormous array of resources is available to facilitate the integration of technology in curricular offerings. For instance, Wambash adds that, "Librarians, frequently doubling as K-12 media specialists, can supply teachers with lists of online curricula, sorted by grade and theme, to incorporate the internet and other computing tools into all subjects. Websites such as EduHound and Discovery Education provide free grade-appropriate lessons, projects, and games" (59). Given the increasing pace at which these initiatives are being embraced by the educational community, it is important to understand the more compelling reasons driving this adoption, and these issues are discussed further below.

Rationale in Support of the Integration of Technology into Curricular Offerings

Technology can provide a number of valuable additions to curricular offerings that can contribute to improved academic outcomes, cost savings and easier administration in countless ways, depending on the needs of the school or school district that is involved. For instance, schools with a high percentage of English as a second language learners might concentrate on technology solutions that address this need, while classrooms with large numbers of high achievers can use technology solutions to provide learning opportunities that would not otherwise be available. Although every classroom is unique, some generic examples can be used to illustrate why technology should be integrated in curricular offerings and three such examples are provided below.

Example No. 1. Technology can help reduce the digital divide and promote accessibility to information for the learning disabled. For instance, one-to-one laptop programs in minority classrooms provide low-income students with improved access to information resources. For instance, according to Fox, "The capacity of teachers to motivate adolescents in an academic setting has its limitations. We believe that the laptop technology served to enhance student motivation, resulting in a more productive learning environment" (24). Likewise, technology such as whiteboards can be used to help deaf and hard-of-hearing students more readily and effectively access computer-based information resources (Mackall 64). In this example, it is the integration of technology in curricular offerings rather than the personal possession of a computing device that is important. In this regard, Wambash emphasizes that, "It's the daily personal access to computers that students must have in order to have an equal shot at learning" (59).

Example No. 2. Technology is highly cost effective; the cost effectiveness is directly related to the staff's ability to integrate computer-based solutions in their classrooms, and teachers must remain proficient in the rapidly evolving educational requirements and corresponding technological-based resources that affect them specifically (Wambach 58). According to Kopkowski (2006), some of the reasonable technology-use expectations for teachers today include:

1. Administratively, they should have the training and tools necessary to electronically track grades and attendance, post homework, and e-mail parents and administrators.

2. Instructionally, teachers should feel comfortable replacing overheads with multimedia presentations; creating digital worksheets for students; finding and identifying online sites for students; using LCD projectors and electronic whiteboards, and moving large files back and forth between school and home.

This means that teachers may need additional training which can be delivered in-house or outsourced depending on the localized requirements and levels of computer-based and information resource expertise in the teacher cohort. The full impact of a comprehensive integration of technology in the classroom is characterized by one educator thusly: "The infusion of technology has been a great blessing for the school and will have staying power. Learning has been totally transformed. We expect that this will pay tremendous dividends as the progress of these students is measured through standardized tests and other methods for the remainder of their school career" (Fox 24).